“Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32
The natural posture of a sinful person is to live in a posture of “debt-collecting”. I scratch your back and you scratch mine. I did this for you, now you owe me one. Anyone who has wronged us at some point is in our debt until we wrong them back. You cheated me, so I cheat you. Now we’re even. Life is seen as unfair otherwise.
Pastor David A. Seamands gives an excellent reminder regarding Jesus’ teaching on the man who was forgiven much but forgave little (Matthew 18:21-35). This man was forgiven a great debt and yet sternly collected a small debt from another. Seamands applies this story beyond finance by asking in what ways we live with a “debt-collecting” mentality as opposed to being saturated with grace? Seamands writes, “We love because we are loved. We accept because we are accepted. We grace another and are gracious because we have been graced, because we know the joy of having seen the Master tear up the charge card that we have spent beyond limit. It’s been canceled. He’s torn it up. He doesn’t say, ‘well, I’ll give you a little more time to repay…’ Is your marriage free of debt collecting? Your family? Your church?”[1]
Jesus expands our logic to help us to see the greater reality that we are each in great debt to God and yet we have been forgiven. We have been given abundantly more than we could ever repay. When we fail to accept and receive God’s grace and forgiveness, we also fail to give unconditional love, forgiveness, and grace to other people. God does not want us living life holding grudges and looking to get even. He does not want us keeping a record of wrongs or collecting debts from others who owe us one. The Christian life is one lived not based on how others treat you, but how God has treated you. Every one of our relationships should be lived in light of this greater truth. This will free us to not only receive God’s grace, but to joyfully extend unconditional grace to others.
[1] Seamands, David A. Healing for Damaged Emotions. Published by David C. Cook. 1981